Salvia farinacea 'Midnight Candle'

RHS Plant Profile

mealy sage 'Midnight Candle'

RHS / Joanna Kossak

Annual Biennial Bedding

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'Midnight Candle' is a compact, upright, half-hardy perennial to 50cm tall that is usually grown as an annual with lance-shaped leaves and spikes of deep blue flowers with white eyes borne from summer into early autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1–2 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H3

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Lamiaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Salvia can be annuals, biennials, herbaceous or evergreen perennials, or shrubs. They have paired, simple or pinnately lobed, often aromatic leaves and 2-lipped flowers in whorls, forming simple or branched spikes or racemes
Name Status: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained, humus-rich, soil in full sun or partial shade.See our video How to care for tender salvia for more advice

Propagation

Propagate by softwood or semi-ripe cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Mediterranean climate plants
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds
Bedding
Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

Cut back spent flower spikes to prolong flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to slug damage on young growth

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), powdery mildews, verticillium wilt and foot and root rots